Pick your own fabrics to personalize your own garment bag. We are all doing more road trips, and I find being able to pull together my hanging clothes and put them in a garment bag makes it easy for road travels.

Enjoy this free pattern, using Kraft-tex for the upper bag and fun fabric for the lower section. These are sometimes referred to as wardrobe bags. They protect your clothes from dirt and dust while traveling!

This version has a gusset that is perfect for weekend trips in your car when you are packing several outfits. You can make a simple bag for one outfit for a special occasion by eliminating the gusset. Add pockets for jewelry and accessories to keep your ensemble together.

Here is how to make your own custom bag with Kraft-tex. You can use any fabric in place of the Kraft-tex. I prefer the top of the bag to be a bit sturdier, and the Kraft-tex served that purpose. Think about using a quilted piece of fabric, or sew some orphan blocks together and quilt them for the top of the garment bag.

One (1) Custom Garment Bag

How to Make a Garment Bag

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Active Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Personalize a garment bag perfect for road trips by selecting your own fabrics.

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This pattern used Kraft-tex for the upper part of the garment bag which helps provide structure to the garment bag, and protects the shoulders of your garments.

Materials

1 package Kraft-tex
1 36" long (or longer) zipper
1-3/4 yards of fabric; use a quilting cotton or for a firmer garment bag use a light-weight upholstery fabric
Cut the fabric into these pieces:
One (1) piece 21" wide by 44" long (width of fabric) for the back
Two (2) pieces 11" wide by 44" long (width of fabric) for the front pieces
Three (3) pieces 5" wide by 44" long (width of fabric) for the gusset pieces

Tools

Sewing machine
Iron
Scissors
Frixion pen
Fabric clips

Instructions

Gather your supplies. Start with preparing the upper section of the garment bag. I like to start with my favorite hanger to trace the top curves onto the Kraft-tex.
Fold your Kraft-tex in half, so that you'll have enough for both the upper front and backs of the garment bag. Trace around the hanger using a removable marker. I like to use a Frixion pen. Note: Always test your marker to make sure you can remove the marks!
To provide extra space in the upper part of your garment bag for your clothes, I mark about 1-1/2 inches away from the original tracing of the hanger. These will be my cutting lines.
Cut along those lines for the back of the garment bag.
Trace this shape on the other half of the Kraft-tex for the upper front of the garment bag. Cut the second piece in half lengthwise. Since we are going to topstitch the zipper, this piece doesn't need any added seam allowances.

Prepare the lower fabric. I like a longer garment bag so that my dresses can hang without being crumpled in the bottom of the bag. The fabric I used was 44" wide. Cut the fabric pieces as outlined in the materials: One (1) piece 21" x 44", Two (2) pieces 11" x 44", Three (3) pieces 5" x 44".

Finish the front long edges of the fabric. I zigzagged the front edges.
Prepare the gusset: Sew the three (3) strips of 5" fabric together to make one long strip for the garment bag gusset.
Sewing the front. Sew the front fabric pieces to the Kraft-tex upper pieces. Make sure to lay them out so that they will form the hanger shape.
Kraft-tex doesn't really have a right side/wrong side, so lay them out and clip the fabric to the Kraft-tex. NOTE: Don't use pins - they will make holes in the Kraft-tex.
Press the seam down. Topstitch.
Topstitch one side of your zipper on one of the right sides of your garment bag.

Line up the other side of the zipper on the other side of the garment bag and topstitch the zipper from top to bottom. NOTE: The zipper doesn't extend to the bottom of the fabric.
Line up the center front pieces below the zipper and zigzag them together to lie flat.
From your Kraft-tex scraps, cut a piece that is 1-1/2" wide by the length of your unfinished front edge below the zipper. This will help be a "stop" for your zipper. Most longer zippers are separating, used for jackets, and we don't want that. 🙂

Lay this strip of Kraft-tex over your zigzagged fabric and topstitch to cover this rough seam.
Make sure to sew all of the way until about 1/2" into the zipper, turn and sew over the end of the zipper, and back down the other side. This forms a stop for the zipper.
Sewing the back. Sew the upper back to the lower back. Press and topstitch.
Lay the front and back together and make sure they are the same length, trim as needed, and round the corners. Rounding the corners will make it easier to add the gusset.
Cut two more pieces of Kraft-tex from your scraps that are 5" x 1-1/2". Take one of those pieces and press in half lengthwise. Carefully place the edge of one end of the gusset fabric inside the fold and topstitch. This protects and finished the edge of the gusset at the upper edge with the hangers. Place right sides together and begin sewing the gusset strip to the front of the garment bag.
As you reach the shoulder curve, carefully ease the gusset fabric along the Kraft-tex and curve.

When you get all around the garment bag, stop about 5" before the edge, cut the gusset strip to be even with the zipper on the front and finish the edge of the gusset with the other strip of Kraft-tex.
Lay the front with gusset on your cutting table. Carefully lay the back on top, with right sides together, and use your clips to line up the curves on the shoulders and all around to ease and match the seam lines.
At the bottom of the center front, there is the strip of Kraft-tex that acts as a stop for the zipper, and finishes the front. Mark the similar spot on the center of the back. Take a strip of Kraft-tex that is 2" wide x 12" long (or whatever length of strip you'd like) fold in half and stitch along the edge. This will be a loop to be able to easily fold your garment bag in half. Take that strip, fold it in half lengthwise, and insert at this mark on the back of the garment bag, with raw edges matching.
Beginning at the side of the garment bag and with right sides together, begin sewing the gusset to the back of the garment bag. Make sure to open the zipper a few inches before making this last seam, so it will be easy to turn it right side out.
Turn the garment bag right side out. Topstitch both the front and back gusset seams to give them additional support.
Completed front garment bag.
Completed bag garment bag.
Garment bag folded using loop.

Recommended Products

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Make a statement with your own customized wardrobe bag! Use combos of fabric to suit your style! You can make your bag with coordinating fabrics that match your luggage, or even your car!

What materials do you use to make a garment bag?

It all depends on how you’ll use your bag. If it will be checked luggage, you’ll want a very durable fabric like a heavy weight rip stop nylon. If you are just using it for car trips, use whatever fabrics strike your fancy!

Fun upholstery canvas fabrics are washable and will hold up well for a handmade garment bag. I used Kraft-Tex for the top of the bag that gets more wear, and a quilting cotton for the remainder of the bag. Have fun and make your garment bag your style!

Garment storage bags, bags used to store a special garment and protect it from dirt and dust, are generally made out of muslin. In order to provide the best protection for your garment, use 100% cotton muslin and prewash it to take out any finishes or residue from the fabric.

How long of a bag do I need?

It depends on what types of garments you want to protect. If you are only needing to protect tops, shirts, pants and skirts, your garment bag will be shorter than if you want to protect dresses or evening gowns. Although the how to is for a garment bag for dresses, you can cut the fabric for the front and back of the garment bag any length. Remember to change the length of your zipper accordingly.

To determine the length of your garment bag, select the garments you want to use with the it. Cut your fabric pieces about 4-5″ longer to provide extra space for the garment in the bag.

Browse through more Kraft-tex projects on Create Whimsy.

For tips and tricks for working with Kraft-Tex, check out our in-depth article that covers everything you’ll want to know about working with this unique product that sews like fabric, but acts like leather.